Improvement in shaft-couplings



@sind effin,

WILLIAM M.l PRATT, .or cHIoAeo. ILLINOIS.

Letters Patent No. 109,344, dated November 15, 1870.

` IMPROVEMENT IN SHAFT-COUPLIINGS.

The schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making `part of thesame'.

l, WILLIAM M. PRATT, of Chicago, in the county ol" Uook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain l Improvements in Safety-Coupling forTumbling-Rods, oi' which the following is a speeitication.

rMy invention relates to a safety-coupling for tuinbling-rods where auniversal joint, is required, and for other mechanisms requiring auniversal joint; and

.lt consists in surroulnl'ing the trunnions or journals ol' the joint bya pair of rings which inclose sai'd trunnions and i'erl'n a bearing forthem, said rings are hollnwed out at certain points to fornioil-reservoirs for lubricatingr the bearings. The said rings are firmlybolted together and secure the connection of the joint. And it also moreespecially consists in providing the trunnions or journals of the jointwith ti'ietion tubes, washers, or sleeves, as they may be termed, whichprevent a rapid wear of the said journals or trunnions. l It has longbeen considered a'desirableJ object to attain to some construction inuniversal couplings which shall enable the operator to replace or supplythe wear incident to suoli couplings without 'the necessity ot' a newpart, as of a trunnion or journal. This l ailn to accomplish byniyinvention. The Washers are cheap and readily applied, and take a largeshare ol' the wear upon themselves, thus saving the more expensive partsof thecoupling. I

ln the accompanying drawingj Figure l is a vertical section throughthecenter of the coupling, inthe direction of its length. -r

Figure 2 isa view ot| one-halt' the coupling detached, exhibiting oneofthe rings and one of shaft-heads, with its trunnions covered byfriction tubes or washers.

General Description.

A A are the shaft-heads.

l B are the trunnions thereof'.

U C are the friction-tubes or washels which loosely surround the saidtrunnions.

N 1)' are the. duplicate rings, supplied each one with the seiuicirularbearings E E E E, which tit around thel trunnions U.-

F 'F are oil-chambers hollowed out of the subst-ance ot' the rings D D',and are for the purpose of holding oil for lubricating the trunnions bymeans of a wick extending from said chambers to the bearings.

This wick passes through a small opening, a, in

nions. The rings are then secured by bolts throughv the holes G G..lhese holes are surrounded upon one plate by a projection whichits'into a corresponding .e depression in the other plate; the purposebeing to. prevent a lateral motion and strain Vupon thelbolts.

I usually make the trunnions of chilled or hardened iron, so that ittakes a long time to wearthem out.

where opposed to the soft iron tube 0r washer O..

These tubes or Washers being interposed between the trunnions and' theirbearings, are constantly turning slightly with the motion of thetrunnin, so-that a new surface is constantly being presented for thewear.

It willbe readily understood that in ordinary couplings of this kindthewear is all upon one side'of the trunnion or pivot, as the revolution isnever complete.` The interposed tube or washer' of 'my inventiondistributes this wear equally to all points.

Having thus fully described my invention and its operation,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- Il.vThe combination of the ringsD D', having bearings Efwith theshaft-heads A, trunnions B, and tubes or washers O, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the rings D D', having bearings E, andoil-chambers F, with the shaft-heads A, trunnions B, and tubes orwashers O, substantiallv as specified and shown. y

3. The combination of the rings D D', having bearings E, andoil-chambers F, with the shaft heads A and trunnions'B, substantially asspecified and shown.

4. The oil-chamber or chambers F, in combination with the ring or ringsof a tumbling-rod coupler, sub st-antially as specified and shown.

\Vitnesses: WILLIAM M. PRATT.

J. W. MUNDAY, L. L. OOBURN.

